Concealed hope
by kagomeuchiha057
Summary: Kagome leaves Konoha as a child to prove to her prodigy cousins, Itachi and Sasuke, that strength and skills can be obtained through more than inheritance. What she doesn't realize is that her decision changed the Uchiha clan.
1. Uchiha clan

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto.

In this story Kagome is born an Uchiha, so the feudal era doesn't take place. I have this stories plot all thought out and I know what's basically going to happen in the next few chapters, so hopefully I will update relatively soon. This won't be a short fanfiction, there will be a fair amount of chapters, though I don't have a specific number planned; just for anyone wondering. Anyway I hope you like it, enjoy. :)

**Rated**: T

**Warning**: None

**Chapter 1**

_Uchiha clan_

The normally quiet streets of the enclosed Uchiha compound were filled with joy at the arrival of a new member. In one specific cozy house, the wails of a baby were soon heard, but what followed wasn't what anyone had expected to happen.

The blissful chatter in the house stopped as if it was a small fire doused in water.

"Her eyes… We have to inform Fugaku." Was the only thing heard from the small house as the Uchiha compound was once again filled in silence.

The man, whom spoke seconds before, left the small house, walking quickly towards the head of the clan's house, knowing that everything must be reported to him.

Hushing sounds were soon heard as the baby's crying and whimpering stopped, but word seemed to spread fast about the baby's arrival. The occurrence that transpired wasn't normal and the clan seemed to quickly figure out what could happen in the near future.

As the sun slowly dipped down from the darkening sky, the only thing heard in the Uchiha compound was silence.

**_4 years later_**

A raven haired little girl with dark, almost black eyes was happily walking down the Uchiha compound, donning the Uchiha fan on the back of her black t-shirt.

She watched as the other Uchiha members stared intently at her, giving each one a curious gaze as she continued to walk through the clean streets. It was always like this, wherever she went there would be people staring at her as if they were waiting for her next action. Though being so young, she dismissed it as a normal thing.

"Kagome, you shouldn't walk around by yourself." A soft woman's voice spoke as Kagome turned to see someone she knew.

"Mikoto-san." Kagome greeted as she watched Mikoto smile down at her, holding a small bag of groceries in her hand with a swollen pregnant belly.

"Does your mother know you're out wandering by yourself?" Mikoto asked with a gentle smile as Kagome nodded her head, looking up at the onyx eyed and haired woman.

"Well in that case, why don't you come over to my place? I'm sure Itachi would like the company. He's going to be a big brother soon, did you know?" Mikoto asked as Kagome nodded, walking beside Mikoto as they left the market streets and went to the head of the clan's house.

As they walked into the large house, Mikoto went into the kitchen, proceeding to put away the groceries as Kagome followed.

It seemed to always go like this, though Kagome didn't really think much of it, she did notice even at her young age that she spend a lot of time at the clan heads house. They weren't mean to her, rather the opposite, but it made her uncomfortable whenever Fugaku would look at her, as if he knew something.

"Oh!" Mikoto's startled cry made Kagome jump lightly, looking at Mikoto as she placed a hand on her swollen belly.

"He kicked." Mikoto explained as Kagome brightened at the sentence.

"Can I feel?" Kagome asked with a bright smile, placing her hand on Mikoto's belly when she nodded.

Kagome widened her eyes lightly when she felt something kick against her small hand, pulling her hand away in slight surprise at the touch.

Mikoto laughed lightly at Kagome's reaction before she set herself with making lunch after the groceries were put away.

"Kagome, why don't you find Itachi? I'm sure he's training somewhere in the house." Mikoto suggested and Kagome set herself with that task.

Itachi was her older cousin by a year, though she visited him a lot, he never really spoke to her much. Mikoto had explained various times that Itachi was quiet and had been like that for as long as Kagome could remember. She didn't find it odd though as she assumed he was just avoiding her, all the other Uchiha kids did that.

"Itachi-kun." Kagome greeted as she spotted Itachi in his room, reading a large scroll.

"What are you reading?" She asked as she walked into his room and peered over his shoulder, attempting to read the intricate words and terms that were beyond her age of 4.

At no response, she sighed before sitting down beside him on his bed, her small legs dangling over the edge.

This was how their conversations went most of the time, as Itachi was normally too focused on training or reading something to really talk. It didn't really bother Kagome as she was used to spending her day by herself. She didn't have any siblings either so it wasn't something she was unaccustomed to.

"What do you think of being a big brother?" Kagome curiously asked, knowing he was more open to talking around that topic.

"I don't know." Itachi answered before turning to look at Kagome.

"He's due this month." He said before returning to his scroll.

Kagome sighed at the little conversation before she got off the bed and stood at the door to his room.

"Mikoto-san is making lunch." She informed before leaving his room, walking back to Mikoto.

She always knew Itachi was skilled, he already was training with kunai and shuriken when most kids didn't even know how to throw them properly, let alone actually know what to do. Kagome was one of those kids though, her parents never let her near any kunai or shuriken so she never got the chance to learn early. She felt weak compared to Itachi, but she remained silent about it, knowing that he was the clan heads son.

As the time ticked by, it wasn't long until lunch was done and Fugaku came back early from work. His stern onyx eyes seemed to watch Kagome cautiously as she nibbled on her lunch at the dining table. Mikoto and Fugaku always had invitations for her to be over, but she never understood why. Her own parents were often at work themselves so she did tend to wander the compound, but she never understood her aunt and uncle. Shouldn't they pay more attention to their own son and soon new baby?

"Kagome, you should eat your lunch. It's healthy so that you can become a strong ninja." Mikoto said with a smile.

"Yeah…" Kagome muttered lightly, trying not to be rude as she attempted to finish her plate.

It was true that Kagome wanted to become a ninja that brought pride in the Uchiha clan. She wanted to be able to be looked up from, not down on. She knew she wasn't the strongest Uchiha and likely never would be, but she really wanted to become a ninja. Something that she would be proud to say and also so that the Uchiha clan would stop staring at her. She assumed they did that because she was weak for an Uchiha and being an Uchiha did come with skills and pride.

'I have to get strong, so that no one looks at me funny anymore.' Kagome thought in determination as she quickly finished her lunch.

"I got to go back home now, thank you for the meal." Kagome thanked as she waved, leaving before Mikoto could come up with something to say.

Kagome quickly exited the house and shut the door, trying to contain her excitement at her new resolve. If she was going to start training to be a ninja, than she would have to find a way to get kunai to train with. Sadly, she assumed most of the Uchiha members would decline and she for sure knew her parents would be opposed to the idea. So that left training her taijutsu in secret from everyone.

As the afternoon soon melted into the evening, Kagome couldn't help but smile brightly as she quickly ran in her own house.

"First, I have to train taijutsu. I'm sure I'll get better if I do. I wonder if Itachi would keep it a secret if I told him? No, probably not." Kagome spoke softly to herself, something she did sometimes when no one was around.

"I hope mommy and daddy will let me go to the academy when I get older. Then I might make some friends too…" She spoke before she quietly entered her parents training room.

They were usually gone for work and seeing as her father worked for the police force, he had some kunai and shuriken in the training room, though the room was used only for storage.

Dust was on a lot of the weapons so Kagome assumed it was safe to just take. It was now or never.

She took a sharp kunai, not taking anything else for she was too nervous at the idea of her parents finding out. They didn't like her around any weapons and told her before that she should become something other than a ninja, but that didn't sound right. She was sure that becoming a ninja was the path she wanted to take, but what she didn't know was if it was the right one.

**End of chapter 1**

I don't have any pairing in mind for this story, before anyone asks. This chapter is basically like a prologue as nothing really happens. More will be explained in later chapters about what's going on as I'm sure some are curious. Anyway, thank you for reading this, see you next chapter. :)


	2. Nine-Tails

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto.

The main plot will come into play after Sasuke is a little older which won't take too long, I just don't want to rush everything. I decided to write the next chapter also as I felt the prologue was short and people seem to like it. Anyway, thank you to the first few people that followed, favorite and reviewed this story already, it means a lot to me. Enjoy. :)

**Rated**: T

**Warning**: None

**Chapter 2**

_Nine-Tails_

It has been a week since Kagome made her ninja resolve, avoiding going out in the compound to instead focus on restlessly training herself. It took effort and time but she hadn't really gotten much better, her young age and unprofessional training was probably the factor behind that.

Kagome was currently taking a break, sitting on the wooden flooring of her neat room.

Word had spread quickly through the clan that Mikoto had given birth to her second son within the same week that Kagome isolated herself to train. It was big news throughout the clan but not as bad as it had been for Itachi's birth as he was the firstborn of the head of the Uchiha clan; he would be the next head of the clan.

Kagome however did feel curiosity towards the baby, as she never really saw a baby herself before. Her new cousin's name was apparently Sasuke, named after the third Hokage's father.

'Should I visit him?' Kagome thought in hesitation as she idly twirled her kunai, trying to get a better feel for holding the weapon that Itachi had already mastered.

'What if Mikoto-san is too busy?' She wondered before she turned the kunai into the light of her sunlit room, watching as the sunlight reflected off the cool metal.

"Kagome, are you home?" A motherly voice called through the house, making Kagome jump and quickly hide her kunai under her bed at hearing her mother's voice.

"Yeah!" She called back, trying to calm herself before she walked out of her room and went downstairs to see her mother.

"Come on dear, we're going to go visit your new cousin. I'm sure you've been wanting to see him." Kagome's mother said as Kagome simply nodded in agreement.

They quickly left the house and started walking towards the clan head's house; the hot July weather was uncomfortable as the walk to the house seemed to last hours when in reality it took only a few minutes.

Kagome watched as her mother knocked on the door and was soon greeted by Itachi, who seemed happier than he had been since Kagome last saw him. His eyes seemed to shine as he let them come inside the house and led them to Mikoto.

Kagome followed him and her mother into the living room, where Mikoto sat holding a small baby safely bundled in soft blankets.

"You're just in time, he just woke up." Mikoto spoke softly as Kagome slowly walked over to Mikoto and peered down at the little boy.

Sasuke blinked his dark eyes up at her, his small head already covered in raven black hair. His hair seemed to be already styling itself a specific way as he reached his tiny hand outwards to her own hair, managing to grasp it for a few brief seconds.

"He's so _tiny_." Kagome pointed out as Sasuke smiled a baby smile up at her without any teeth.

"He's a baby, everyone was this tiny at one point. I remember when you and Itachi were this small." Mikoto admitted as she smiled serenely down at her youngest son that was securely held in her arms.

Kagome remained quiet after that, finding it odd how Sasuke made little noises and sounds. However it wasn't long before Itachi got impatient for his turn and wanted to hold Sasuke.

'He never acted like this for anything before. He must love being a big brother.' Kagome thought as Itachi held the little bundle of Sasuke, watching as Sasuke smiled again at the familiar face of his big brother.

"Is he quiet like Itachi was?" Kagome's mother asked.

"No, he's much more expressive. He cries a lot more than Itachi did, but Itachi's been helping me these past few days so it's not that bad." Mikoto explained with a warm smile at both her sons.

Kagome couldn't help but also smile at the scene, finding it touching as the corner of Itachi's lips curled lightly upwards as his little brother smiled up at him.

The scene however was interrupted when an urgent knocking on the door was heard.

"Who's that?" Mikoto asked as the only two adults went to the front entrance together, seeming to sense something amiss with the situation.

Muffled voices were heard and Kagome couldn't help but get a bad feeling about what was going on. She glanced over at Itachi, noticing that he was holding Sasuke closer and keeping his eyes pinned to the hallway.

The voices soon dimmed and Mikoto came rushing back to the living room, handing Itachi the baby carrier to use.

"I have to go, all ninja in the area were told to help defend the attack going on. Itachi make sure you watch Sasuke okay?" Mikoto said as Itachi quickly said, "I will protect him no matter what."

"Kagome, make sure to stay with Itachi okay? Stick together and don't leave this house, I'll try and be back soon." Mikoto said before she gave Sasuke one last look before she quickly left the house.

"Itachi-kun what's going on?" Kagome asked desperately, panic written on her face as she looked intently at her cousin, knowing he understood the situation better than her.

"The village is under attack." Was all Itachi said as he put Sasuke in the white carrier before strapping it onto himself, wrapping his arms around Sasuke to support his weight better in the carrier.

"_What_! H-how,_ but_ m-mommy and Mikoto-san left." Kagome stuttered, finding it hard to contain her emotions.

"They are ninja's. The hokage must have ordered for all ninja's to help the attack, so they had to leave. As long as we stay here, we should be fine." Itachi explained though she noticed how his eyes clouded with slight doubt.

"We can't just stay here! If the village is under attack than no one's safe!" She yelled, her young age clouding her reasoning.

When Itachi didn't respond, she frowned before she turned and headed straight for the entrance to the house, planning to go out and try to help the village, despite being too young to be of much help at all. She didn't want to feel useless when everyone was going out there to help the attack that was going on.

"Stop." At hearing Itachi's urgent voice, she stopped to turn and look at him, watching as he frowned.

"I feel something going on. If you go out there to fight whatever it is, you're going to get killed." Itachi exclaimed, uncharacteristically showing slight fear across his face before his mask came back and his demeanor became calm once again.

"What do you mean you feel something? What even is attacking the village?" Kagome questioned but Itachi remained silent.

"I don't know exactly, but it's stronger than I am. I can feel its power…" He said before he started rocking Sasuke when Sasuke started crying.

Kagome didn't say anything after that, choosing to instead stay and wait in the living room, sitting on the couch. Itachi had chosen to take a tired Sasuke with him to sit on the deck in the backyard, seeming to want to keep an eye out for anything.

'If whatever's attacking the village is really strong, than will we really be okay?' Kagome thought as she waited by herself in the dark living room as the night seemed to creep up on the sky. She was too scared to want to turn on the light, deciding that sitting in the dark was better. It felt like she waited an eternity, just waiting for any sign of someone to come home or even a disturbance outside. None of those things happened though and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep on the couch as Itachi remained outside with a sleeping Sasuke, watching the sky.

**End of chapter 2**

I'm trying to keep along the same path the series went through, but obviously there's going to be a plot twist that some might or might not have figured out yet. It has something to do with Kagome. I planned to make this chapter longer, but I feel that this ending sounds better. Anyway, see you next chapter. :)


	3. Inheritance

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto.

**Rated**: T

**Warning**: Slight violence

**Chapter 3**

_Inheritance_

Kagome stirred from her dreams, slowly becoming conscious again. When she opened her eyes, she was met with the sight of a relatively bare room save for some furniture neatly organized and a fair sized window off to the side. The bright morning sun seemed to just be peeking from the horizon, basking the land in a warm yellow light.

'Does this mean Konoha isn't under attack anymore?' She thought in high hopes as she jerked up and got off the bed, almost tripping in her haste to get to the door.

She quickly opened the door and left the room, running down the halls of the familiar house of the Uchiha's clan head. Her feet running against the wooden flooring echoed in the empty halls as she quickly went into the living room, hoping to find anyone familiar. However when she entered the living room, nothing greeted her sights. Deciding not to lose hope, she quickly set her search through the whole house, opening and looking through every room in the tidy house, but nothing was there.

'Did something happen? Why am I the only one here?' Kagome thought as she frowned, worried for her families safety.

However she didn't have to fret for long as the front door opening resounded in the silent house.

Curiosity pushed her to head straight for the entrance of the house, smiling in relief when she saw Mikoto coming inside followed by Itachi who was still holding Sasuke. It seemed as though Itachi hadn't slept as little lines were growing underneath his eyes. Though the thing that stood out the most to Kagome was someone not with the little group.

"Mikoto-san, where's mommy?" Kagome asked, watching as Mikoto grimaced lightly before bending down to Kagome's level.

"Kagome, mommy got injured in the fight so she has to stay at the hospital. She's going to be fine, but for the time being you're going to stay with us, okay?" Mikoto explained with a sad smile in an attempt to cheer the little girl up.

"What about daddy?" Kagome asked as her eyes shimmered in tears that were threatening to fall.

"Daddy is very busy at work, honey. I'm sure he'd want to stay with you, but he has a lot to do now that the village is safe again. I talked with Fugaku before I came back home, he said you're welcome to stay with us for as long as it takes." Mikoto explained but Kagome couldn't help but start crying.

Her parents were always at work so they never saw each other often, but they were still her parents. She cared for them and loved them as much as any child, for they raised her as a baby.

"It's okay, honey. You're okay. Shhhh…" Mikoto tried to calm Kagome, but it didn't do much.

It didn't help that Mikoto wasn't used to comforting someone in this type of situation, as Itachi was never one to cry and Sasuke was too young.

"Your parents are alive so you should be happy. You'll see them soon." Itachi softly said, making Mikoto widen her eyes lightly at his sudden involvement.

"Y-yeah." Kagome sniffled, calming down after those words.

**_2 weeks later_**

Kagome adjusted well into her cousins and aunt and uncles house, though she spoke less than she normally did. She couldn't visit her mother yet as she was still in the hospital, though that was all Mikoto told her. Her father had visited her briefly just to check that she was safe before he was called for work again. In these two weeks, she watched as Sasuke grew a bit bigger and became more talkative. She also noticed that Fugaku seemed to be keeping an extra close eye on her whenever they were in the same room, which made Kagome quite uncomfortable. At the same time, she noticed Itachi's quick growth as he improved almost drastically in his training and weapon wielding.

It was almost unfair how fast he learned and improved himself as word started spreading in the clan that Itachi was a prodigy. Kagome knew he was always skilled and strong, but a prodigy? That took him way beyond her skills and level.

'He's only a year older than me, how come he improves but I can't even throw a kunai properly yet?' Kagome thought as she frowned lightly in jealousy.

The incident two weeks ago had slightly traumatized Kagome, that feeling of being completely helpless to help the clan or even to make sure her parents were okay. She could do nothing but wait… She didn't want to have to do that again, she wanted to be able to be able to do something. After that incident two weeks ago, she didn't care about being looked up on by the clan or feeling pride in being an Uchiha. She just wanted to be useful and be able to change the outcome of things. To no longer be weak…

"Kagome." At hearing Fugaku's voice, Kagome turned from her spot; sitting on the deck in the backyard.

"Yes Fugaku-san?" She questioned.

"Come." Was all he said as he started walking away from her.

Kagome complied, standing up before she jogged to walk alongside her uncle, being forced to walk with long strides to keep up with him.

Kagome remained silent, not having any idea of what they were going to do that is until they entered a specific room that Itachi spent most of his time in.

"Fugaku-san, why are we in this room?" Kagome asked, surprised when Fugaku abruptly threw her a kunai that she managed to catch after weeks of practise with holding the weapon.

She could see the approval in Fugaku's dark eyes when she caught the sharp weapon that would have no doubt cut her if she hadn't have been able to catch it. With calculating eyes, Fugaku took a few steps in the fairly large training room of his house, watching how she held the weapon in her small hands.

"Knowing my brother, you have had no training before, have you?" Fugaku asked, his tone serious.

"N-not really." Kagome stuttered, unwilling to tell him that she had trained herself for a while, mainly just to handle a kunai as she still didn't get the hang of throwing it.

"I will train you then. Throw the kunai at the target." Fugaku ordered, gesturing to the wooden post roughly in the shape of a person, chunks were missing and scratches from previous weapons were marked on it.

Kagome gulped; nervous at the idea of being trained by her uncle. She did want to train and get better but she didn't like the way he watched her as if he expected something that she didn't know. It was unnerving for her, but despite her mixed feelings, she still threw the kunai at the wooden post. The kunai barely scraped the wood as it hit it before it fell to the floor, making a clicking sound as it hit the floor.

"You're being too gentle about it. Imagine this-"Fugaku paused to gesture to the wooden post, "Is someone trying to hurt you. Throw the kunai at it as if that were the case."

Kagome nodded, quickly retrieving the kunai to try again.

"Keep your wrist straight when you throw it and make sure your aiming right." He advised.

On the second attempt, she managed to get the kunai embedded in the wood, but it was aimed wrong and ended up hitting the side of the post, just barely staying on it without falling off.

"Father." Itachi's mildly surprised voice caught the attention of Kagome and Fugaku.

"Itachi, what is it you need?" Fugaku asked, knowing his son wouldn't catch their attention unless something was to be said.

"You're being called back to the police force for a case." Itachi said bluntly as Fugaku sighed before heading towards the door.

"Itachi, show Kagome how to throw a kunai." Fugaku ordered before he left the training room with no other explanation.

Kagome could see the slight confusion in Itachi's onyx eyes, but he still picked up a sharp kunai and quickly threw it at the post, demonstrating for her as the weapon was embedded in the wood.

"If you're going to throw it, aim for the vital parts before anything else." Itachi commented as he seemed to watch Kagome curiously.

It was quite obvious that Itachi realized Fugaku was doing everything for a reason as he would never train anyone simply for no reason at all.

"Itachi-kun am I holding this right?" Kagome asked as she felt weaker when in the same room as the newly pronounced prodigy; Itachi.

"Yes." Itachi answered as she threw the kunai at the post.

Itachi was a prodigy so he was beyond Kagome's skill level, which just made her want to try harder to do better. If she couldn't improve through inheritance like Itachi seemed to have, than she would just have to improve through her own hard work. Hopefully Sasuke wouldn't improve through his inheritance like Itachi was…

**End of chapter 3**

Thank you for reading this, I know the summary doesn't fit yet with the story, but it will. Anyway, see you next chapter. :)


	4. 2 months later

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto.

I would have updated sooner, but I got sick and couldn't concentrate on writing, though I'm feeling better so I decided to update. There is a small time skip in this chapter; I know the chapters may seem rushed but the main reason is that the main plot hasn't come into play yet and Sasuke needs to be older before it does, so I may be rushing the chapters a little, but that'll change. I know my chapters are also shorter than I normally make them, but I noticed shorter chapters in fanfiction are better liked as they both take less time to read and write. I'll try to write my chapters longer like I normally do again as seen in this chapter, but updates will take longer as I have a busy life outside of writing. Anyway, thank you for the support in this story so far, I hope you enjoy. :)

**Rated**: T

**Note**: I made Itachi enroll in the academy earlier than from the actual manga/anime.

**Warning**: Violence

**Chapter 4**

_2 months later_

Days blurred into months as the time passed rather quickly in the bustling village of Konoha. The hot and humid July turned into a cool September before Kagome could even acknowledge the drastic change. From summer to soon fall, the new season was quite busy for the Uchiha compound as eager families were preparing to enroll their excited children into the academy at the start of a new year.

Kagome was just 2 years too young to partake in the required ritual but Itachi however was not. This year was the first year that Itachi would be entering the school from a special request from both Fugaku and the Hokage. Normally kids would enroll in the school when they were about 6-8, though it differed from family to family along with the skill level of the child. However, Itachi was only 5.

Though; being recognized as a prodigy by everyone, he was given special permission to attend schooling at the academy at an earlier age than most kids.

Kagome, being his cousin and currently still living with him, was forced to attend Itachi's first day of school send off. All that really happened at those types of things were really just bringing your kid to the academy and conversing with the other families before returning home and leaving their kid for their first day at the academy.

Though that didn't exactly sound like fun, Kagome still had to attend it with her current household.

She couldn't return to her own home just yet as her mother was still in the hospital with a 'coma', from what Itachi had told her. She didn't really understand the meaning, but she knew it meant that she wouldn't be going home too soon. Her father had attempted to bring her back home, but his work in the police force was always too busy for him to fully commit to raising Kagome by himself for a while until her mother was better. Which all was brought back to Kagome's current living condition in the Uchiha clan heads house. It wasn't horribly bad in the sense that she got training from Fugaku and even sometimes Itachi, but that didn't brighten up her mood from being away from her parents. Her extended family was relatively kind and nice, but they couldn't replace her real parents.

"Kagome." At the concerned voice, Kagome was brought away from her thoughts and back to the academy's little send-off party.

"Are you okay, honey?" Mikoto asked as she rocked on her feet, trying to calm down a whining 2 month old Sasuke who refused to want to be wrapped up in his swaddled blanket despite the cold weather.

"Yeah. Is Itachi-kun almost done?" Kagome asked, knowing that Itachi and Fugaku were talking to the other families, well, more like being bombarded by woman who wanted to fawn over the little Uchiha prodigy.

"I'm sure he will be soon, but in the meantime why don't you go talk to some of the other kids?" Mikoto warmly suggested, feeling almost like Kagome's real mother over the last few months.

"Okay…" Kagome muttered before she gave one last glance at Itachi before she wandered off to the swings on the academy grounds, away from everyone else and out of view from her aunt.

She was too nervous to talk to the other older kids, they probably wouldn't want to talk to her anyway, so she tried her best to blend into the background. Though when her eyes glanced at the gates leading to the Konoha village, Kagome couldn't help but slip away from the academy to enter the village by herself.

Being an Uchiha, she never really left the Uchiha compound as the Uchiha compound was essentially closed off from the village. It was like a little village of its own as Uchiha's stuck with Uchiha's, never really straying from their clustered clan unless for missions, work or the academy.

So when the option arose to explore a little outside the clans compound, Kagome took the chance.

Right off the bat, upon walking down the streets, she noticed people giving her questioning looks, probably from the fact that an Uchiha child was in the village alone. It seemed that never happened often.

"Shouldn't the Uchiha's keep a closer eye on their kids?" A gruff and insulting voice said from one of the shops.

Kagome couldn't help but glance around in search of the speaker as she didn't understand the meaning behind the spiteful words.

'Why would he say that?' Kagome thought as she stared at the milky lavender eyes of a long brown haired man who openly glared at Kagome.

It seemed the Uchiha clan wasn't the only clan where it was hard to see their pupils.

Ignoring the man, Kagome continued on with looking around the village with open curiosity at the densely populated village. Compared to the Uchiha compound, this place was very crowded with both people and buildings. It was also a lot dirtier she noticed as she stared at the various garbage and empty cans littering the streets and roads.

Kagome continued walking, taking in the scenery until she reached a relatively empty area of the village, presumably the housing area. That was when she felt a shiver run up her spine, almost like an omen.

Deciding that she had been wandering in the village for long enough, she turned around, planning to walk back. Though a man standing just a few meters away from her made her freeze in her spot.

"Hey! What's a fine Uchiha like you doing here?" The slurred man's voice called out.

Kagome refrained from answering the tall man, rubbing her nose irritably at the strong smell coming off him even from her distance. She didn't know what the smell was but it seemed to be the reason why the man was wobbling and swaying with each step he took towards her.

"Where's your parents?" The man asked as he stood in front of her, wearing a simple black shirt with worn out pants and blue sandals.

"T-they're coming to get me." Kagome lied, remembering briefly what her mother had told her to do if an incident like this happened.

"Why don't I bring you to them?" Asked the man, but Kagome knew better than to trust a complete stranger.

When the man reached his hand out to her shoulder, she quickly kicked him in the shin, using as much strength as she could muster before running off down the streets when he stumbled backwards.

She didn't stop running, she could feel the adrenaline from that situation and couldn't help but swell with pride that she avoided a bad situation, but the pride was sadly short lived when she felt a firm grip on her shoulder that prevented her from running and felt a sharp metal kunai aimed dangerously near her throat.

"Don't speak." The same man from just minutes ago spoke from behind her and Kagome couldn't help but feel her eyes water in fright.

She was conflicted with what to exactly do but that didn't stop her from remembering her training with Fugaku. She had trained for various taijutsu and weapon attacks, from basics to difficult situations but nothing was as real as actually being in the situation. She wanted to fight back but she hesitated, not knowing which move she should do first. Her mind was fogging up and she couldn't think of which taijutsu move she should choose from without her getting hurt from the kunai. More than anything she was scared, she was too young to know what to do. Her mind went blank as she felt the kunai slowly move closer to her neck.

Luckily she didn't have to do anything as the man behind her grunted in pain before he fell to the ground, the kunai falling harmlessly with him and away from Kagome. It seemed someone had stepped in to help her.

"Are you alright?" At hearing her cousin's voice, she couldn't hold her tears in any longer and silently cried.

She didn't move away when Itachi grabbed her small hand and led her away from the unconscious man, bringing her down the streets. She couldn't stop her crying despite how many times she rubbed her eyes and could only find comfort in Mikoto's embrace when Itachi brought her back to the academy.

"Kagome! You had me worried, I'm glad Itachi followed after you. What's wrong, honey?" Mikoto's worried voice seemed to calm Kagome down and get her to stop crying.

Itachi filled Mikoto in on the event that occurred as Kagome silently didn't say anything. When danger came, Kagome was unable to make the decision that could've saved her if Itachi hadn't of followed after her and helped her. She was grateful for her cousin, but it only proved how inferior her skills were compared to Itachi. Of course she didn't hate him, especially after he saved her, but she really didn't like being in his shadow. She was jealous that everything came so easy for him while she had to struggle in her training, even when Fugaku was the one training her; the head of the Uchiha clan and police force. Of course, what she didn't realize was that she already was learning more skills than most kids her age, but that never crossed her mind as she compared herself to only Itachi and not the general population.

"I think it's time we go back home. Itachi make sure you listen in your lessons today." Mikoto said which followed the nod of Itachi's head before he left to enter the academy after a small chat with Fugaku.

"Come on, honey." Mikoto said as she held Kagome's hand while her other arm supported Sasuke, who had fallen asleep.

Fugaku joined them as they all walked back home, though what they didn't expect was to see Kagome's father waiting at the door to their house once they got back home.

"Daddy!" Despite her feelings, she couldn't help but brighten up at the sight of her father that she hadn't been able to see for a while.

Rushing to him with open arms, she was gladly brought into a warm hug by her father.

"How have you been Kagome? I'm sorry I haven't gotten the chance to visit in a while, but that'll change starting today. Are you ready to go home, sweetie?" At her father's words, Kagome couldn't help but smile widely in hope, the events that happened not long ago being buried to the back of her mind, though not forgotten.

"What are you talking about Satoru?" Fugaku questioned though his eyes betrayed his calm exterior towards his brother.

"I think it's about time I bring Kagome home. It has been far too long." Satoru said as he stared at his older brother.

"Let's go talk inside." Fugaku ordered as they entered the house, followed shortly by Kagome, Mikoto and a sleeping Sasuke.

Kagome wanted to go home, though she'd miss the training, but being back home would relax her. She missed her father and she was sure she would still manage to train without her father knowing. What she didn't understand was why Fugaku wanted to talk things out. With that question in mind, she decided she would eavesdrop on their conversation despite the fact that it wasn't the best idea.

"Kagome why don't you go play for a bit?" Mikoto suggested before she went to put Sasuke in his crib so he could have a nap.

Kagome however didn't listen to Mikoto as she peered from the hallway, watching how her father and her uncle were glaring at each other.

"I know you've been training her Fugaku. You shouldn't be forcing things to happen." At her father's serious tone, Kagome edged out of sight from the two but remained in hearing distance, afraid she might get caught.

"Well, it's better than keeping her completely in the dark like_ you've_ been doing." Fugaku replied.

"Have you told her?" Satoru asked.

"No. She doesn't need to know that." Fugaku responded.

'I don't need to know what?' Kagome thought in confusion as she tried to remain silent.

"I'm just helping her so that she can help the clan." Fugaku said.

"You can't use her like that, Fugaku. This is why I don't want her around you or for her to train. You don't know what you're doing." Satoru bit out in anger.

"I think I know more of what I'm doing than you do. Open your eyes Satoru, the day she was born we knew she would become something great. Why do you think the clan's scared of her? Why do you think she's ostracized from the clan? I'm simply accepting fate." Fugaku said and Kagome could almost see the smile Fugaku must have on his face.

"This is _wrong_. We don't need to go that far, she's just a little girl." Satoru defended.

"So is my son, but he's already in the academy." Fugaku pointed out.

"I know why you're really doing this, Fugaku. You want her to t-"Fugaku interrupted Satoru, "Kagome, why don't you come out of hiding?"

At hearing her uncle's voice, Kagome shrunk back in shame at being caught. She was confused about their conversation but she couldn't help but wonder what they meant. Biting back her hesitation, she slowly walked around the corner and into the living room that her father and uncle accompanied. She kept her eyes on the ground as she prepared herself for a lecture, but what she got wasn't what she had expected.

"Kagome, you still want to train right?" Fugaku asked once she stood in front of them.

Kagome didn't know how to answer as she knew her father wouldn't like the idea, which made her think about lying for a few brief seconds but her honesty was more prominent.

"Yes." She answered after some hesitation towards the seemingly touchy topic.

She watched as her father gave Fugaku a look that she didn't understand before Mikoto entered the relatively tense room.

"Satoru-kun, I'm sure you still have plenty of work for the police force. I don't think Kagome would like to spend her time by herself for that long. Why don't you trust us and let Kagome stay here until things clear up?" Mikoto suggested with a small smile.

"I wonder why I have so much work?" Satoru asked bitterly as he glared at Fugaku who in return ignored him.

After a few minutes of tense silence, Satoru finally sighed and walked over to Kagome, bending down to her height. Kagome frowned lightly, realizing that she probably wasn't returning home yet.

"Kagome, I want you to stay strong okay? I'll try and visit you as much as I can but I guess it's best for you to stay here until I have more time to look after you." Satoru said as he gave Kagome a hug.

"What about mommy? Is mommy better yet?" Kagome asked and watched as her father gave her a reassuring smile.

"Mommy's getting better, but she's not yet ready to go home. I'm sure she'd want to see you once she's all better though." Satoru said which made Kagome smile softly at the thought.

"I better go soon. Kagome, don't force yourself to do anything you don't want to, okay? Stay strong, sweetie. I'll make sure to visit you soon." Satoru gave her a kiss to the forehead before he stood up.

"Bye daddy." Kagome said goodbye as she watched him turn his back and leave after saying goodbye to her and giving a final look at Fugaku.

Kagome couldn't help but feel sad when the door shut, signaling that her father had left. She missed her parents; they had always been there for her when she needed them the most, despite their busy work life, but now things were all different. She didn't see them as often and it was disheartening to realize the fact.

"Kagome, let's go make lunch. I could use a helping hand." Mikoto said as she went into the kitchen after giving Kagome a small sympathetic look.

Kagome glanced at Fugaku before she walked away from him and entered the kitchen, helping Mikoto with preparing the assortment of food for lunch. Though Kagome was slightly depressed, she tried to ignore the feeling and instead focus on her current task. It didn't take long for Mikoto to learn that Kagome wasn't the best at preparing food but at her young age who would blame her. Kagome was nearly done helping Mikoto prepare the last of the food when Sasuke's loud crying alerted them that he woke up from his nap.

"Ah! Kagome could you give him his bottle? It's about his feeding time but I can't leave the stove while I'm cooking. Remember to support the head." Mikoto asked as she handed a heated bottle of formula milk to Kagome.

"Okay." Kagome said as she took the warm bottle and left the kitchen that was filled with the nice smell of food cooking.

Walking down the intricate halls that she had grown accustomed to over time, she found herself in Sasuke's room. His room was filled with bright colors despite the fact that the house itself was fairly bland colored. A variety of baby toys were placed neatly in his room along with a rocking chair off to the side and a dresser.

Sasuke's cries dimmed down when she carefully picked him up and slowly walked over to the rocking chair in his room. She supported his head in her arms and fed him his milk from the bottle, watching in amusement when he stopped crying when he was being fed.

Over the last 2 months, he had grown a lot considering how tiny he had been as a newborn and his onyx hair was definitely revealing that it would be stylized in a specific way as it spiked only on one side and curved a certain way. His movements were a lot more controlled, less involuntary and he loved the freedom of being out of his blankets swaddle. It was almost weird to watch how fast he seemed to be growing over the short time she had known him.

"You're not going to end up like Itachi-kun, are you Sasuke?" Kagome softly asked even though she knew she would get no response from the baby.

It wasn't long before he had finished his bottle which followed by Kagome setting aside the empty bottle and proceeded with burping him before she carefully carried him out of the room. She walked with him securely in her arms back to Mikoto; wincing lightly when he purposefully grabbed her hair and pulled on it with a smile.

She didn't know why he always did that to her and not Mikoto but he seemed to enjoy it as he laughed with a smile without any teeth.

"Mikoto-san I brought Sasuke." Kagome informed as Mikoto seemed to have just finished cooking lunch.

"Thank you Kagome." Mikoto thanked as she took Sasuke from Kagome's grasp.

"Lunch is done so help me set the plates." Mikoto asked as they busied themselves with arranging the food into plates and brought them to the dining room.

"Where did Fugaku go?" Mikoto wondered aloud as Kagome settled herself at the dining table.

"He must have had work to deal with." Mikoto answered her own mussing as she also sat down at the table after placing Sasuke in his little mini play area on the floor, keeping an eye on him.

It wasn't long until they finished lunch and Itachi had returned home from the academy, greeting Sasuke before anyone else.

"How was your day?" Mikoto asked.

"It was normal." Itachi replied before his attention went to Kagome.

"Kagome, I want to show you a new technique." Itachi said as he went to the training room after he finished greeting Sasuke, ignoring the lunch.

Kagome complied and followed after him; the past couple months both Itachi and Fugaku had been trying to train her, though Itachi had been doing it mostly out of curiosity and only when he wasn't training himself or reading his many scrolls that Kagome still couldn't read. Though despite all the efforts, Kagome was a slow learner but neither of them stopped training her.

'I hope I get better. I have to be able to get into the academy by next year so that I can get stronger. Aside from that, I wonder what Fugaku-san and father were talking about earlier?' Kagome thought as she entered the training room to learn the new technique Itachi wanted to show her.

**End of chapter 4**

Satoru- roughly meaning 'understanding/enlightenment'. I thought this name fitted Kagome's father and I got tired of repeatedly writing 'Kagome's father' so I gave him a name.

This chapter was focusing on building Kagome's view of things as she starts to get a bit older and mentally starts to mature faster than most 4 year olds. Also changing her view of people outside of the Uchiha clan, but that's just for plot purposes. I know people want some action, but Kagome's 4 right now so she can't really fight yet as she isn't a prodigy and hasn't had enough training. Though action will come in later chapters but for now its drama. Another time skip will happen in the next chapter. Anyway, thank you for reading, see you next chapter. :)


	5. 1 year later

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto or Inuyasha.

The summary will fit the story, just it needs to lead into it first. I know I updated late but it took a while before I was fully better after I got sick and then I was swamped in schoolwork so I haven't gotten the chance to update until now. Thank you everyone for the support so far and to the people who favorite and followed this story; it means a lot to me. I thought the Uchiha clan was too played out so I didn't expect so many people to read it, thank you. Anyway, enjoy. :)

**Rated**: T

**Note**: Sasuke acted happy and like a normal child before the massacre so he will be like that as a kid in this story.

**Warning**: None

**Chapter 5**

_1 year later_

5 year old Kagome threw a sharp kunai at the wooden post in the training room; easily hitting it with a resounding thwack.

The past year had flown by before she could even appreciate the change of seasons. Her mother was still in a coma from head trauma, though with the past year Kagome had grown more emotionally detached from her parents. It was becoming a thing that she was putting at the back of her mind; something that she painfully remembered but was keeping it locked away behind a calm mask as a form of mental defence from the sad memory. Her happy and childish personality had been forced to mature faster than what it should have. What she had gone through emotionally had been traumatic for a 4 year old and had opened her mind to the reality of the world. Something that a child should not have to go through.

In the past year, she had been training rigorously to improve herself with the training and coaching from both Fugaku and sometimes Itachi. It was difficult but she was finally managing to improve in almost all physical aspects, but it didn't even compare to how drastically Itachi was improving in his schooling and training.

Itachi had already skipped 5 grades in the academy; only a year away from getting into a genin squad and graduating from the academy that he had just entered last year. He truly was recognized as a prodigy from not just the Uchiha clan, but everyone in Konoha. At only 6 years old, he was already so close to graduating.

"Gome." At hearing the familiar high pitched voice, Kagome turned away from the wooden training post to look at her 1 year old cousin standing by the entrance to the training room.

"What is it Sasuke?" She asked with a small smile.

Sasuke had grown drastically in the past year and was happily learning how to master walking and talking. Over the year he had grown attached to Kagome, probably because she was the only one that really paid attention to him when Itachi was at school. His pronunciation of certain sounds weren't the best yet, so he called her, 'Gome.' Though she was suspicious of if he'll be a natural prodigy like his older brother, she couldn't really worry about that when he was so innocent and likeable at such a delicate age. He was like a get away from problems; something that made you forget about everything else and make you smile despite past memories. She was sure that Itachi knew that exact feeling that she felt as he seemed the happiest when he was spending time with Sasuke, as if he forgot of the Shinobi war he witnessed as a child when Kagome was too young to remember the rough times.

"Sasuke?" Kagome repeated when Sasuke just stared up at her before a wide smile grew on his small face, revealing his almost complete set of white baby teeth.

"Gome go." He spoke in a broken phrase.

"Go where?" She asked curiously only to have her hand grabbed and pulled lightly.

"_Go_." He repeated with a wide smile as he led her out of the training room.

Sasuke wasn't that much shorter than Kagome, though Kagome was fairly petite for her age. His onyx hair had grown much longer and had filled out to reveal the distinct hairstyle that he sported from his first few weeks and was likely to keep.

"Sasuke where are we going?" She asked, allowing her young age to take hold of her as she forgot for a while of her memories and trauma.

At the moment it was just a 5 year old being led by a 1 year old.

"Play!" He exclaimed with a wide smile as they reached his room to the array of bright colored toys and baby books scattered on the floor.

It was obvious that he had been playing in his room before he had decided to go and get Kagome to go play with him. His room was relatively the same as it had been before, just the crib had been replaced with a low child sized bed with a rail guard that prevented him from falling out of the bed at night. The tranquil rocking chair had also been taken out so he wouldn't hurt himself, which was fairly ironic as all he needed to do was go in the training room and there would be an array of weapons that certainly weren't toddler safe. Though Kagome never really understood Mikoto, which was the reason why Kagome took it upon herself to watch Sasuke when Itachi wasn't there to.

"Gome! _Look_." Sasuke said happily as he showed her a page of a flower in a baby book, just the words, 'flower' written in bold underneath the large picture.

"I like flowers, do you?" She asked and watched him nod with a smile.

"Hey, let's go to the backyard. It's nice out for the end of summer." Kagome suggested and giggled when Sasuke quickly agreed, not getting many chances to go outside except for when Itachi took him out sometimes for little walks to complete an errand.

When they reached the backyard, they were running around, playing like any young child would as they laughed and explored the various insects and sweet smelling flowers in the backyard. However when a stray white cat wandered into the backyard, they both instantly went to pet the cat.

"So soft." Kagome exclaimed with a smile at the cat that purred under the petting from both the enthusiastic toddler and young child.

"I wonder what would happen if we collected its paw print? Would it care?" She muttered aloud as she absently pet the cat.

"Paw?" Sasuke repeated as he looked at her for guidance of the word.

"Paw." She repeated as she picked up the docile cat to show its small paws.

"Paw!" He said with a smile as he pointed at the cat's paws.

Kagome laughed as he started trying to grab the cat's paws which resulted in the cat getting annoyed and managing to run off.

"What are you doing?" Itachi's voice made both of them look over to see Itachi standing in the backyard, watching both of them.

"Itachi!" Sasuke exclaimed as he ran to Itachi and gave him a hug which resulted in Itachi flicking him in the forehead with his fingers.

"Sasuke, you should go inside. It's going to get dark outside." Itachi explained which Sasuke eagerly listened to and went inside the house, followed closely by Itachi who gave Kagome a look that said she should also come inside.

Kagome sighed as she slowly trailed after them but instead of following them, she walked back to the training room. She needed to get better, she needed to be able to be stronger. If she remained weak then she wouldn't be able to protect herself or anyone like the last time. She had to be someone that could protect the ones she loved from dangers, not someone who couldn't do anything but get in the way.

**_The next day_**

Kagome frowned as she read through some of Itachi's scrolls from his room without his permission. She could read most of what was in it but it was difficult to understand certain techniques. The scroll contained advanced techniques that Itachi was learning and had learned, which meant that Kagome wanted to know how he learned them and possibly find one that she wanted to learn. She had been working on her chakra and some small ninjutsu that wouldn't really do much in a real fight. Though when she saw a certain ninjutsu in Itachi's scrolls, she was instantly intrigued at the well-known technique.

The Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.

"That's the one that marks you as an adult in my clan…" She muttered absently, running her hand over the dusted page that was showing how to do the famous Uchiha clan technique.

It was a signature technique that all Uchiha's should learn, but normally at an older age. It probably shouldn't be written down in a scroll as it was a technique passed down by family when the one to learn the technique was deemed ready for it. Though Kagome was glad Itachi had this scroll because now she knew how she was going to improve.

'I hope he doesn't notice.' She thought as she put away the other scrolls back where they originally were before she took the fire ball scroll and rolled it up before putting it in her pocket.

She quickly exited Itachi's neat room and headed down the halls to her own room before she started getting ready to practise the technique. She wouldn't be able to practise in the training room as she was sure she would get caught by Itachi or someone and it was likely that she would set something on fire if she managed to actually do the technique.

"Gome?" Sasuke said when he saw her readying her kunai holster that she wore whenever she decided to train in the forest.

"Sasuke." She said in mild surprise, having forgotten that it was just her and Sasuke at home.

Fugaku had work, Mikoto was out shopping and Itachi was at the academy until noon; Sasuke was her responsibility to look after.

"Going?" He asked with a small frown and Kagome quickly strapped her kunai holster on and started getting other small weapons, knowing that she couldn't just leave Sasuke alone and being well prepared was a must if she was bringing Sasuke with her.

"We're going to go train." She announced and watched the excitement he showed at his first time out training.

"Come on." She said with a smile as he grabbed her hand and walked with her out of the house after she locked it.

She knew the other Uchiha's would report to Fugaku if they saw her and Sasuke, so she made sure they were out of sight from the other people just in case. It didn't take long for them to reach the forest without being spotted. Once they were hidden far enough in the forest, Kagome let her guard slightly down, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. She wasn't the most skilled or the strongest, but if something came up then she would manage to put up a fight, or at least hold out long enough until Sasuke got back to the village. It was risky for him to be with her when a rogue ninja could be lurking around, but it was safer than leaving him alone at home.

If she managed to learn the signature technique, than she would be considered an adult, age aside. The same as Itachi.

A tight hold on her hand made her turn to see Sasuke huddling close to her, squeezing her hand as he looked around the vast forest that was lighted by the warm sun.

"It's okay Sasuke. It's not scary, I'll protect you from anyone bad okay?" She comforted, tapping her kunai holster with her spare hand to prove her point.

He didn't say anything but he looked up at her with eyes shining in amazement at how strong she was.

"Stay close okay?" She said as they ventured a little further into the forest before they came upon a simple, small grassy field.

"Okay, you sit here." She instructed and watched as Sasuke went and sat in the middle of the field, where she could easily watch him if anything happened.

'What do I do first?' She thought as she skimmed through the scroll she had put in her pocket, finding it difficult to remember the right seals for the ninjutsu.

After going through the 6 hand seals, she focused on her chakra, trying to build it up at the back of her throat. The sensation was horrible as she felt her throat feel like it was almost burning under the sensation before she quickly heaved and spited it out, watching a small fire ball blow out of her mouth from her throat before stopping when she needed to breath.

"Cool!" Sasuke exclaimed from his spot, watching Kagome do the technique.

Kagome gave him a small smile, feeling the pain in her throat from doing the ninjutsu. She obviously wasn't ready for the technique if her throat was anything to go by, but she had to learn it. She couldn't get recognition as an adult from the clan until she could make the ninjutsu bigger and last longer than what she just did.

The rest of the morning and afternoon were spent with her trying to make her ninjutsu better; it had gotten a little bigger and reached a little farther but nothing enough to have mastered the technique yet.

When she looked up at the darkening sky, she realized that she had spent most of the day out with Sasuke, whom had taken a short nap while she was practising.

'Itachi isn't going to be happy…' Kagome thought as she nudged Sasuke awake and led him out of the forest.

It wasn't easy to sneak past people as there was a lot more people out in the streets in the evening, but what scared her was when a hand grabbed her shoulder. Quickly she jerked backwards and threw a reflex punch which only hit air.

"At least your reflexes are good. I know you only went to train but be careful with Sasuke. He's too young to be involved in training and the forest isn't exactly a safe place." Itachi said from behind her again as she turned to see him gently flick a happy Sasuke in the forehead with his fingers.

The action looked mean but she knew it was just a way Itachi liked to greet Sasuke and Sasuke knew it too, even if he was very young.

"I know that, but I didn't want to leave him all alone. Besides, I can protect him." She defended herself with crossed arms, refusing to admit that he was right.

Just speaking was difficult as her voice was still sensitive from all her training to learn the fire technique. It felt raw from the force of the built up chakra and fire but hopefully it would heal fast enough before anyone noticed anything. She only wanted people to know she was learning the technique once she mastered it and then she would get recognized as an adult. An adult could protect others and that was what she needed recognition for. She would improve no matter what to protect others.

"Kagome-"Itachi paused in his sentence as his eyes caught sight of something on her leg.

Curiously she looked down only to tense at seeing Itachi's scroll hanging slightly out of her shorts pocket. It didn't take much to notice that Itachi wasn't happy at seeing her with the scroll. Normally he kept a relatively calm expression but at the moment she could see the anger in his eyes.

"Why do you have my ninjutsu scroll?" He asked as he reached forward and took the scroll before she could stop him and he quickly opened the scroll to see which ninjutsu was in it.

"Kagome you shouldn't learn this technique until you're older. It can wreck your throat if you're too inexperienced and don't have the right training." Itachi lectured as he stared at her.

"I can handle that technique just fine! _You_ already mastered it and you're only a year older than me." She pointed out with a frown, not wanting to see the concern that was laced in his dark eyes.

"I'm different then you Kagome. You haven't seen what I've seen as a toddler. I know you also went through traumatic things but you shouldn't let that destroy your childhood. Don't let it change you." Itachi said seriously, speaking more than he usually did to her.

"Change what? I'm not changing Itachi-kun, I'm just opening my eyes. Life is all about whose strongest, if you're not strong then you won't be able to protect the people you love. I will be the one that protects those I love so I must become strong." She explained with a glare at Itachi, neither of them noticing the worried Sasuke listening to both of them.

"Becoming the strongest means you have to be ready to kill others to protect the ones you love. Are you ready for that kind of commitment?" Itachi asked, a frown forming on his face.

"…" Kagome remained silent.

She hadn't thought of that at all when she decided to commit herself to becoming stronger and more skilled over the past year. Of course she knew she would have to fight others if she really wanted to protect her family and the people she cared about, but would she _really_ be able to kill for it? Would she even be _able_ to if she had to?

"Kagome, don't let your childhood be ruined. Mine is gone, but you still have yours, even if there's just a sliver still in there. There's no need to become what I'm becoming, you should be happy. All you ever do is train and if you keep trying that ninjutsu then your throat is going to be injured even more than it is. Don't let all of this change who you really are." He advised as he he brought her into a hug in an attempt to persuade her to see his point and comfort her at the same time.

"I'm not changing who I am Itachi-kun. This is who I am." Kagome stated before she broke free from his hug and started running back home without looking back, she knew they would also end up going to the same home.

'I have to be strong to protect others, I'm not changing. _No_, I'm changing for the better.' She thought as she ran through the streets, avoiding people in her way.

What she failed to see was the concerned Itachi staring after her retreating form along with the worried little face of Sasuke.

"There's nothing I can do to stop you is there? I'm too late to save your childhood, but I can try to preserve _yours_." Itachi spoke mostly to himself as he gently looked down at Sasuke who looked up at him with wide innocent eyes.

"I fear you will also come to strive to be better than me." Itachi quietly admitted to Sasuke before he looked up at the darkening sky.

"I'm not as strong as you both think…Its better to stay young then be what I have become. To protect the ones you love means you must sacrifice your whole life to that one cause. I don't want you both to end up like that. I don't want this clan to become warped simply by a delusion of protection. You both have your whole lives ahead of you, yet Kagome is changing her path. I don't want her to realize what it really means to protect the ones you love at all costs. She will never be the same once she does, though only time will answer this." Itachi mussed, speaking his thoughts aloud.

'This clan is changing her.' He sullenly thought as he held Sasuke's hand and walked with him back home.

**End of chapter 5**

Kagome and Itachi both act older then what their ages really are but remember that they both had to age mentally faster then what they should as little kids because of traumatic memories. Itachi went through more than Kagome so he's more mature then Kagome who is trying to change and become something that she thinks will put her trauma at rest and allow her to make everything better but she still is a kid despite what she's becoming so her thoughts aren't well thought out. I know some people are wondering about Kagome's mother, she is alive, but she's in a coma which usually takes at least a couple months, maybe even years to come out of if they can, though she will, just not right now as it would change the plot. Satoru also can't do anything about Kagome's living condition as he works for the police force, which Fugaku is head of so he controls Satoru's work if you didn't catch onto that. It all just distance's Kagome so she doesn't have as many connections to the village and of course there's a reason this is all happening, but I won't ruin it. Anyway, see you next chapter. :)


	6. Academy

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto.

Sorry for the late update but my life's really busy and it's difficult to keep up to date with 4 different fanfictions at once along with my own original story I'm working on and also schooling/work. No one's fault except myself; I just hate having nothing to do so I give myself things to do and overestimate my multitasking skills... I updated this story first because I felt the last chapter was kind of mean to just leave hanging for a while and I still haven't got into the main plot but this chapters leading to it. Anyway, hope you enjoy. :)

**Rated**: T

**Warning**: None

Note: Before anyone asks, I still have no pairing in mind but a lot of you want either two options which I'm okay with. If there is romance, it will happen when their older, not when their little kids. At that point I will take the readers opinion but for now we all just have to wait.

**Chapter 6**

_Academy_

_2 months later_

Kagome frowned as she drank soothing honey tea from a cup, hoping to quench her swollen throat that had been bugging her ever since she started practising the clan's signature fire technique. She hadn't gotten control of how to use the technique without it touching her throat, though with being eager to quickly master the technique, she had continued with her practise anyway, which resulted in a swollen and slightly burned throat. She knew that Itachi knew what was wrong as he constantly gave her throat medicine to help her and even bought tea for her; the tea she was currently drinking. Though she knew she should stop to let her throat heal, she really wanted to master that technique as soon as possible. If a little burned throat was all that's in the way, then she would persevere. She was determined to not quit her goal or as some kids would say; her ninja way.

"Kagome?" At hearing Mikoto's voice, Kagome turned tentatively around to see the older woman holding out a small white envelope for Kagome.

"What is it?" Kagome questioned, slowly taking the envelope and opening it hesitantly.

A quick skim of the contents was all she needed as her bright eyes shined happily.

"Ah!" Kagome couldn't stop the smile on her face as she tightly held the now crinkling paper to her chest.

"We better get ready, today is an exciting day." Mikoto said with a small smile as Kagome happily dropped the paper and abandoned her now cooling tea on the counter.

"I got to go get ready!" Kagome exclaimed, ignoring her sore throat, as she made a run for her room but instead bumped into a fairly firm body of someone familiar, who was steadily growing bigger than her.

**_Itachi's view_**

"What's all the commotion?" Itachi asked in slight confusion but Kagome just ignored him and sidestepped him to go get ready.

Itachi gave Mikoto a questioning look but his mother just smiled and gestured to the paper lying on the floor before she went to clean up the tea Kagome had abandoned.

He casually walked over and picked up the slightly crinkled paper, silently reading aloud what it said in shock, "Kagome Uchiha; you have been given permission by the Hokage to start the academy today. We hope you will become a great asset to Konoha."

The very short paragraph was almost identical to the one Itachi had received just a little over a year ago, written in the same neat ink and emblem too. The only difference was that he had been given some time before he attended; he didn't just get a letter the very same day that the academy was accepting new students.

"Mother, why is this so late?" Itachi asked, though a million different thoughts and conclusions were going through his head at the reasoning behind the question.

"The letter just came today. It's sudden, but Kagome is very happy about it so we should congratulate her." Mikoto explained.

'This is too sudden to be a coincidence… The Hokage doesn't make last second decisions; that must mean he was pressured into it. Who would do that?' Itachi thought but it didn't take long before he widened his eyes uncharacteristically.

'Why would he…?' Itachi trailed off in thought before he frowned lightly.

'I've always thought this whole setup was odd. Kagome is getting stuck in a web that she won't be able to get out of. She didn't get accepted into the academy because of her skill, but something else, I'm sure…but why is this even happening? There has to be more to it than just this.' Itachi thought as he looked at his mother busying herself with the dishes.

'Maybe I can figure this out without asking.' He thought as he turned to his mother, planning to try and make her slip up if she knew anything.

_**Kagome's view**_

Kagome happily brushed her dark hair, making sure that it wasn't messy before she placed the sturdy brush down on her dresser.

The warm sunlight was shining into her bedroom, casting a yellow hue against her plain walls. Walls that belonged to the room she had grown used to over time.

'I can't believe I'm getting accepted to enter the academy early! I never thought this would happen. Maybe all my training is finally paying off. This is just the start. I'll master the fire technique in no time and become an adult! I'll get strong and protect the people I care for.' She thought excitedly as she quickly went out of her room to instead grab some throat medicine in the medicine cabinet which was located in the kitchen.

She hoped Mikoto and Itachi weren't there because it would be hard to come up with a plausible lie to trick Mikoto. Itachi however already knew seeing as he bought the medicine for her, but it was just awkward to talk to him after their last conversation a few months ago when she told him her goals. It was just best if they weren't in the kitchen.

However that hope seemed to be shattered when she heard a bit of motion in the kitchen, indicating that indeed someone else was already in the kitchen. She planned to just turn around and wait for them to leave the kitchen, but something caught her attention.

She paused in the hallway when she heard talking, what were they saying?

'I shouldn't eavesdrop… Last time I got caught.' Kagome thought in hesitation but a specific sentence she accidently heard kept her glued to her spot in the wide halls, her eyes keen on the sliding door just in case.

"I don't accept this whole thing, Kagome shouldn't be forced to go to the academy earlier then what she is actually ready for."

'That's Itachi's voice… Why does he care about me going to the academy? I thought he accepted my goals.' Kagome thought as she waited nervously for someone to speak.

"Itachi, we don't have any choice; the Hokage gave permission for her to attend, meaning we must obey to what he wants for the best of the village and our clan. Kagome is happy to attend also." Mikoto explained.

Kagome blinked at that statement.

"The Hokage? Are you sure he ordered this?" Itachi's voice sounded odd as he said that.

"Why wouldn't he order this? The Hokage is in control of the village and clans, of course he would make the decisions." Mikoto's voice had an odd octave in it as she quickly said those words.

"Unless there was someone else pressuring him to. Did he really make this decision, mother?" Itachi's words were soon followed by a tense silence.

Kagome was growing nervous as the seconds ticked by, she probably shouldn't have heard what they were talking about. She felt a mixture of guilt for eavesdropping and confusion of what they were saying. The Hokage was the leader of Konoha, of course he had the say in things. What was Itachi even talking about?

"Kagome." At the sudden voice, Kagome jumped lightly in surprise.

"Eavesdropping is a bad habit." The gruff voice was all it took for Kagome to feel nervous.

"Y-yes." She stuttered lightly as she glanced up at Fugaku's stern expression.

"I thought you were at work?" She asked, trying to change the topic.

"I worked night hours so I don't have work today." Fugaku explained before he gave her a hard glare.

She gulped lightly, expecting a lecture but instead he simply opened the sliding door and walked over to Mikoto and Itachi.

"What's going on Itachi?" Fugaku asked with crossed arms.

"Nothing father." Itachi curtly replied before he left the kitchen, giving Kagome an odd look before he walked down the large hallways, his back to her.

'What's going on?' Kagome thought in confusion.

"Kagome, are you ready for the academy?" Mikoto's words broke Kagome from her thoughts.

"Um, do you think… Ah- never mind." Kagome quickly said, giving up on her lost question.

'This is what I want, right? The academy is just the first step to becoming stronger… Why do I feel like this if this is what I want?' Kagome thought as she was starting to not want to go to the academy.

"Is everyone ready? I'll go get Itachi and Sasuke before we go." Mikoto announced before she left to do that.

Once everyone was gathered they left to the academy, Kagome silently trailing beside Itachi. Since Itachi was still attending the academy, even if it was his last year, they would be going to school together. It was a thought that both gave her anticipation and slight envy at the thought that he was improving as if it was nothing. As if he didn't struggle to get where he currently was like she had. Though Itachi did train almost as vigorously as Kagome does, his improvements were near instant. Kagome was just barely improving, having to spend 2 months to master a single ninjutsu that she still didn't get to master yet. Itachi mastered the same technique in much less time.

'It's not really his fault though. His genes are just stronger than mine are. I just can't let go how easy it is for him though…' Kagome thought, conflicted with her thoughts and her feelings.

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice that they were almost at the academy, the families gathering to celebrate their children's acceptance were everywhere. It was times like these when Kagome remembered that she wasn't Mikoto and Fugaku's daughter, but their niece. Nothing more than a distant relative that was living with them because of difficult conditions.

Stepping back she couldn't help but feel out of place; she was the black sheep among a flock of white sheep. She was different from them and it made her feel like a burden to everyone. Maybe it would be better if she lived by herself. Then she could train freely without being out of place among others.

"Kagome." Itachi's calming voice by her ear made her turn to him.

She had been absent minded for a while now, getting lost in her thoughts. A bad habit that she was trying to prevent.

A quick glance showed that Mikoto, Fugaku and Sasuke were a fair distance away, seeming to converse with some other families.

When she looked back at Itachi she could see the concern etched in his dark eyes, which made her feel guilty for even having any bad thoughts about him. He really was nice to her despite everything and yet all she ever did was feel envy and jealousy over his natural ability that he never had control over. Despite her thoughts, she really did wish that she could have the same natural ability he had, though Itachi wasn't at fault.

"Is your throat still burned? Here." Itachi said as he placed his hand in front of her mouth, holding a small pill meant for her throat.

"You didn't take it yet, right? I don't have water but you can still swallow it down. Your throat must hurt. If you're going to keep practising then the least you can do is tend to your throat so the damage isn't permanent." His concerned words made Kagome feel even worse for how she envied him.

She let him put the small pill in her mouth and with a gulp she easily swallowed it.

She couldn't help the shimmer of unshed tears glaze over her eyes at his actions after she had swallowed the medicine. Why did he care so much for her? All she ever did was envy his abilities.

"What's wrong? Did the pill get stuck?" Itachi asked.

Kagome shook her head, it wasn't the pill that made her eyes water. It was her own feelings that made her eyes water.

"What's wrong?" At his words, she couldn't help but let the water escape her eyes in silent tears.

"Why do you care so much? You even told me to stop practising the fire technique but yet you're helping me. I don't understand!" Kagome exclaimed, ignoring the fact that her outburst caught a few strangers eye but they looked away when Itachi gave them a look.

"Shouldn't I care for you?" Itachi asked.

"We aren't that close." Kagome pointed out, wiping her eyes from the tears.

"We aren't?" He questioned.

"Huh?" She didn't understand what he meant.

"I've always been quiet. I've never spoken as much to anyone as I spoke to you. I thought we were close." He explained.

Kagome had nothing to say to that except nod as she knew he was right. However the thought only strengthened her resolve to protect the people she cared for. Itachi didn't need protection but Kagome would still train to protect him and the other people she cared for. If focusing her life and being able to kill others to protect the ones she cared for were the cost of protection, then she would make sure she could do it when she was ready. It won't happen instantly, but she was sure that in a couple years she would be able to make that full commitment. It wouldn't be easy but Itachi's words helped her realize what she needed to be ready for. She didn't want to go through the helpless feeling of not being strong enough to protect the ones she loved and cared for.

"Kagome, you don't have to go to the academy if you don't want to." Itachi said as he nudged her away from her thoughts.

Kagome smiled up at him, a true smile that she hadn't been able to do for a while.

"I'm going to go to the academy. Thank you." Kagome thanked as she leaned up and pecked his cheek before she ran back to Mikoto, Fugaku and Sasuke.

She didn't notice Itachi's shocked expression as she started talking to Sasuke.

"I think I made a mistake…" Was all Itachi absently said before he slowly joined Kagome and played a little with Sasuke.

Kagome would follow her goal and all anyone could do was help her along the way. No one expected anything big to happen in the future, at the moment it was fairly peaceful.

"We're off to the academy." Kagome announced as she stood with Itachi facing his family.

With a brief farewell, they entered the academy; a place that taught the necessary ninja skills that Kagome would soon learn.

It wasn't long until she could improve and get recognised in the clan as an adult.

**End of chapter 6**

The main plot is coming soon. I know I'm doing a lot of time skips but I don't want to skip right to the main plot without insight for why the main plot happened and why Kagome leaves. I also am trying to not let this drag out so each chapter right now has to have a reason to be put up, mostly building up to feelings and relations that will affect the plot. The time skips will lessen once the main plot is out but for now there will be time skips until Sasuke is about 4-5 so the next chapter will time skip again. This fanfiction has a lot of events where they have to be certain ages, which isn't that confusing if you're reading it, but I have to think everything through for the ages and times for the events which take some time for it to make sense with my plot. Anyway, see you next chapter. :)


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